Visa-free travel could make Asia and GCC corridor next great growth engine

Measures to ensure accessible, seamless, visa-free experiences could turn the Asia-GCC corridor into the next great growth engine for the Middle East’s travel sector, according to industry leaders speaking at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026.

Moderated by Sienna Parulis-Cook, Director of Marketing and Communications, Dragon Trail International, the session featured perspectives from Shahab Abdollah Shayan, Regional Director Asia Pacific, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Aaron Goldring, Senior Economist, Oxford Economics, Frederic Brohez, Chief Operating Officer, Pulse Hotels & Resorts, and Waad Melliti, Senior Business Manager, World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF).

Providing context for the panel discussion with data from Oxford Economics, Goldring said: “There were record numbers in 2025 for travel into the GCC from Asia-Pacific – nearly 165 million overnight guests.

That’s more than 160% higher in just six years, and we had a pandemic in the middle of that.

There has been significant growth from key source markets like India, which is a huge market already and very important to the UAE. [The GCC also saw] 10% growth from China during that period.”

Commenting on the steps Dubai has taken to encourage and facilitate inbound travel from China, Shayan said: “One of the first things you need to consider when you want to double down on a market is accessibility, so we looked at how we could remove the barrier of visas for Chinese travellers coming into Dubai and the UAE. In 2016, we managed to actually achieve that.

Offering her perspective on the impact that visa-related reforms have had on the volumes of people travelling from the GCC to Asia – with specific reference to China – Melliti said: “China achieved complete visa-free coverage across all the GCC countries in 2018, and the numbers are extremely encouraging. In 2025, arrivals to China from the six GCC countries exceeded 150,000, representing a 100% increase compared with 2024.”

Speaking on evolving consumer expectations and what they mean for hospitality brands located along the Asia-GCC corridor, Brohez said: “From an operator’s perspective, it’s about making sure we’re creating the right product, that we’re targeting it at the right customer and through the right channels. As we see travellers look for experiential holidays and vacations – from the GCC, of course, but also across Asia and the world – we are keen to bring new brands to life to reflect that.”

Danielle Curtis, Regional Portfolio Director – UAE, RX Global, said: “The Asia-GCC corridor clearly represents a huge opportunity for the travel and tourism industry. Public and private sector leaders in both regions have gone to great lengths to enable accessible, seamless, visa-free travel, and those efforts will no doubt continue paying dividends as increasing numbers of visitors look to explore and experience what the Middle East and Asia-Pacific markets have to offer.”

Meanwhile, Jazeera Airways in partnership with CzechTourism, has announced the launch of the first-ever winter flights from Kuwait to Prague, giving travellers a new opportunity to experience the Czech capital during one of its most magical seasons.

Starting 17 December, Jazeera Airways will operate direct flights twice weekly between Kuwait and Prague, conveniently timed around the school winter holidays and the festive travel period.

This new route will be open until 7 February 2027 and marks an important development for the Kuwait-Prague route, extending a destination traditionally served by Jazeera during the popular European summer season into winter for the first time.

Barathan Pasupathi, Chief Executive Officer, Jazeera Airways, said: “Prague has always been a very popular summer destination with our passengers, and we are delighted to take the next step by introducing our first winter flights to the Czech capital. With the school holidays and Prague’s festive season, it is a great time to visit. In winter, the city offers a completely different and most magical experience including the winter markets, castles and overall celebratory atmosphere.

At Jazeera Airways, together with CzechTourism, we are happy to offer travellers from Kuwait the opportunity to explore Prague in this season.

This new service also demonstrates our commitment to developing successful seasonal routes to meet growing market demands.”

Barbara Andelová, International Marketing - Middle East and India, CzechTourism, said,

“We are delighted to partner with Jazeera Airways in introducing the first-ever winter flights between Kuwait and Prague. While Prague is already a well-loved destination among travellers from Kuwait during the summer months, winter reveals a different side of the city, with its festive markets, historic landmarks, cultural experiences and unique seasonal atmosphere.

This new service will make it even easier for visitors from Kuwait and the wider region to discover the beauty of the Czechia during one of the most enchanting times of the year. We look forward to welcoming more visitors and further strengthening tourism ties between our two countries.”